Articulated shin pads for hockey players are presently available which are worn under elastic socks. Therefore, the shin pads for hockey players may be of a large size and bulk since their size is compensated for by the elasticity of a covering sock.
An example of such a shin pad for a hockey player appears in Canadian Industrial Design Application Registration No. 45328. This product has a disadvantage in that an upper part of the pad extends high on the leg of the wearer and when there is significant flexing of the leg, such as bending at the knee, the shin pad does not take into account the movement forward on the outside of the leg of the upper part of the tibia bone. Therefore, this shin pad acts against the natural ergonomy of the body in movement.
For certain users such as officials or referees of hockey games, for example, or anyone desiring a small, light, flexible shin guard, a smaller and lighter shin guard is required other than that traditionally used by a hockey player. Therefore, the above-mentioned Canadian Industrial Design Application Registration would not be suitable for use by one desiring a light, flexible shin guard in that certain hockey players, preferably hockey referees, for example, traditionally wear their protective shin guards under pants which lack the elasticity of the socks used by hockey players to compensate for the bulk and amount of movement of their protective equipment. The Canadian Registration, if used by an official or referee, would engage the pants leg or stocking of the wearer and cause discomfort and reduction in freedom of movement.
An alternative which has been explored for use by officials or referees of hockey games has been to associate an elbow padding with a regular pad to produce the desired feature of having a lightweight pad. However, this attempt has been found not to provide the necessary protection for the user.